On Thursday, April 9, 2020, Sam Stelnicki hosted a Zoom presentation on current events amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend, but I did watch the recording on Carmen. I wanted to focus my reflection on Turkmenistan and the idea of underreacting to the current state of the world.

First of all, I think it is incredibly interesting that Turkmenistan is reporting zero cases, especially since they have a track record of seemingly avoiding the topic of global health. The grim reality is that this virus is nondiscriminatory and has the potential to reach every region of the world. Obviously, it is highly unlikely that there are no cases in this country, but the bigger issue is the implications of this underreporting (or lack of reporting). By refusing to acknowledge the serious effects this virus has, and its incredible spreading power, this country is putting its own people at risk and, in turn, the whole world.

This same notion is being seen at a smaller scale in the U.S. There are individuals who are not taking this pandemic seriously, most likely because it was more or less a joke among the youth months before it hit our country. People were traveling unnecessarily and gathering with friends, putting themselves and others at risk. Even now, with the stay-at-home order in act, I know of people my age who are still hanging out with friends and traveling for pleasure. This is incredibly unfortunate and disappointing because people do not understand the consequences of their actions, since they are not immediate and direct.

Since most of us have never experienced such a societal downfall, it is understandable that we do not all know what we should be doing, but the least we should be doing is following orders.

On Friday, February 21, 2020, I attended Taste of OSU at the Ohio Union. This event is held every year to celebrate different cultures all over the world through food, music, and dance. From Vietnamese to German to Brazilian, there are foods from every region of the world for you to try. This is a great way for the community to come together and experience how beautiful these cultural differences can be. It is such a vibrant event with smiles all around.

Last year I was a volunteer, so I did not get to experience the event as a guest. It was definitely still fulfilling, but I was excited this year to be able to take my time and visit as many booths as I could. With a personal interest in Latin America, I was excited to see what BRASA and LSA had in store for the night. However, I definitely grew a greater appreciation for other cultures that I never would have thought twice about. A lot of the Asian booths were so beautifully decorated with intricate designs and patterns. It was really cool to taste the traditional flavors of each country. Some were flavors I have never even come close to experiencing.

The food was amazing, but what was even better were the performances. To be able to see students my age perform classic and traditional dances of their cultures was really refreshing. Even more fascinating, though, were the fusion dancers, combining aspects of traditional and modern with hints of outside influences. There was an all-boy K-Pop group that was incredible! Everyone was so impressed and it was really amazing to be a part of something so large and eye-opening.

On January 28, 2020, I attended the showing of the documentary “Ice on Fire” in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering building. This documentary talked about global climate change, the implications it has on humanity, and the solutions we are currently working on. I am currently taking “Life in the Universe”, where we are talking about how life has sustained here on Erath, to be able to continue our search for life beyond Earth. In this exploration, we discussed climate change and the indisputable science behind it. The documentary aligned with my lecture, in that it convinced the audience that human activity is indeed the cause of global warming (i.e. excess CO2 in the atmosphere). The documentary itself obviously had an agenda: rallying humans together to believe in the prosperity of such a cause and reeking havoc in those who don’t. It did a great job of solidifying this idea of extreme change happening quickly, but seemed a bit too optimistic and unrealistic. The faculty member that led the discussion afterwards went on to talk about the scope we are dealing with. It is, unfortunately, far larger than any of these solutions can account for. This is a necessary global collectivist action that is being hindered by political forces, when it is an issue that scales far beyond dollar signs. Besides greenhouse gases, our planet is gaining humans and losing land. That, in and of itself, is a problem.

I did not become proactive in the push for environmental change until this year. For years it had always seemed like a problem that would sort itself out, but now that I have sought out the information and had conversations with scientists actually working towards the solutions, I have come to realize that there is a lot of work that needs to be done by a lot of people in order for something to make a lasting impression. I have learned of ways we can combat this issue, not by changing people’s beliefs, but by fixing their perspective. For example, overfishing has led to the loss of thousands of jobs. Yet, we have resources like oysters and kelp that can sequester this CO2 and even reduce methane emissions into our atmosphere. When one door closes, another thousand really do open.

It is not a question of how much time we have left before we are doomed, but rather a question of how we can become innovators and find prosperity in something that is disguised as devastation.

On October 27, 2019, I volunteered with Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS) to paint a mural in a local elementary school (Westerville, OH). CRIS’s mission is to facilitate the integration of immigrants into the United State’s population. I have so much respect for this organization and the people who work for them are all wonderful souls. Earlier in the year, I tried to be a mentor for them, helping high school students with immigrant families feel more accepted in society. Unfortunately, my schedule conflicts would not allow me to contribute the way I wanted, but I figured I would still try to be involved as much as possible. The mural itself promotes international backgrounds coming together as a whole. The immigrant population in Franklin County is increasingly rising, so it is important we assist in making these young kids feel like they belong in this country and in their school.

Being surrounded by people my age who are all passionate about supporting the immigrant community was truly a beautiful experience. Everyone was having a good time, laughing, dancing, singing, all while contributing to a cause much greater than we are. I will definitely continue to help out with CRIS events, and maybe in the future, when my schedule permits, I can finally be a mentor to someone who could really benefit from it.

On October 19, 2019, I attended the Día de los Muertos celebration, co-sponsored by the Center for Latin American Studies, my place of work. I was really excited going into this event because I had never been a part of something so cultural and vibrant. The day began with fun activities, mainly put on for the kids, but after the procession, I stayed for “How Movement Moves: Dancing Across Borders, from West Africa to the Americas” and “Latinx Comics Past, Present and Future”.

The educational performance was something I would never normally seem interested in, but I am so glad I went. Students from the Department of Dance and the directors of the Thiossane Institute showed the migrations of dance from the African diaspora to the Americas, with the influence of music. The dances expressed the cultural differences between the African American community and the traditional African community. It was very cool to see students from all different backgrounds engaging in such a deep history through something so universal — dance. I definitely learned a few things from this performance, from the stylistic evolution to the meanings behind each move. Like I said, if this was not a part of the Día de los Muertos celebration, I would have not sought this out myself, but I think it is important to broaden your understanding of the world as a whole, in all of its different regions.

The reception with the altars and comics exhibit was a beautiful arrangement. The altars truly emphasized the cultural and traditional importance of this holiday to remember those who have passed on, so they never lose meaning in present-day life. The comics exhibit was demonstrative of the evolution of Latin America and the U.S.’s views on their people. It was eye-opening to really see how things have changed (and not changed) from the 18th century to now, especially when it took other forms of media. Latin American journalists would write about the oppression they have faced, and now there are Latin American comics who do the same. The exhibit showed me the progress we have made and how far we have to come.

This entire event was a collection of reasons to be more aware of surrounding cultures. Columbus is home to many people of ranging ethnicity and backgrounds, so it is a wonderful opportunity to get out there and learn something.

On Tuesday, September 10, 2019, I attended the Graduate and Professional School Expo in the Ohio Union. This event had many booths that represented colleges specializing in International and Public Affairs, along with other schools blanketing studies like Political Science and Language and Culture Studies. The reason I wanted to attend this event was because I plan on graduating next year and I have no idea what my next steps are and when to take them, in regards to graduate school. I have a pretty good idea of the path I want to lead myself on, but I was never quite sure of the processes involved. After attending and speaking with multiple representatives from schools all over the country, I feel a bit more confident in how my road map will look, however, I do feel incredibly more overwhelmed, now that more schools with greater opportunities have entered the playing field. I had originally planned to stay at OSU to continue my studies in Psychology and earn my PhD, but now I am left feeling like I should look into other schools to see what is out there. With that being said, I do know that Ohio State’s research labs are of the greatest in the country, so to continue my research here would be seemingly smart.

Graduate school is not something that is expected of undergraduate students, so, unfortunately, resources to help guide the way must be independently sought out. This has been rather difficult for me because sometimes I feel I do not even know where to begin, or I start to feel overwhelmed with all the options that I give up and save it for a later day. My next step will definitely have to be setting up a meeting with my adviser so that I can have someone lay out my options right in front of me and help me in choosing the right school and program.

Although attending this expo feels like a good start, I still wish I could have more of a one-on-one chat with some of the representatives. I also wish I came a bit more prepared because I was not sure what questions to ask. There are a lot of things I need to do more research on, like the average cost/length of a PhD program, the benefits of having a doctorate in my field of interest, and funding options available. Another huge question I have is how to still keep Spanish involved in my work of psychology, either in my graduate studies, down the road, or both. My passion for Spanish language and Hispanic culture is something I do not want to give up, but I am not necessarily sure I want it to be the center of my professional career. There is definitely more exploring I need to do, both education-wise and profession-wise. I am confident, however, that wherever I end up, I will find a way to combine all of my different interests and passions, while gaining success along the way.

On Saturday, March 30th, 2019, I attended a talk at The Hispanic and Lusophone Studies Symposium in Hagerty Hall. This symposium was hosted by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and co-sponsored by CLAS (my place of work). Due to my interest in Latino/a studies, I was thrilled to attend. The session I went to was entitled “Vulnerable Voices-Childhood & Trauma” and the speaker was Estelí Puente Beccar. Her presentation was on ¨El cuerpo del niño como un registro del terror: niños víctima-documento del Plan Cóndor¨. This hit all areas I’m passionate about: Hispanic studies, International Affairs, and psychology.

Before hearing the presentation, I thought I knew a decent amount about world history and US relations. What I did not realize, though, was how our relations truly impact civilians around the world. This talk shed light on the mass disturbances our country (and allies) contributed to in the late 20th century, specifically its implications on the lives of innocent children during Operation Condor. This operation was not talked about much in high school, but I did have some prior knowledge on the matter. What they teach you is the basic plot, the opponents, and the outcome, along with some arbitrary number that they refer to as the “death toll”. However, events like these leave way more of a footprint than that.

This talk related to some conversations we had in seminar last semester. With a decent amount of our discussions being based on military and war, I was able to connect these new ideas to ones I had already created in my head. There is always a price to pay with military intervention and psychological impacts are no exception. I always found survivor stories to be interesting, especially when they have experienced incredibly traumatic events in history. How they grew up from the event was so powerfully affected by the residual damage left behind. However, we cannot forget the ones who did not survive, especially those whose lives were taken out of proximity and association. Back then, civilian casualties were not a huge priority in preventing. Obviously, today we have many procedures and protocols to lessen our chances of taking innocent lives in war, but when communism was threatening the power certain countries had, this was put on the back burner.

I even remember hearing about this mission in my Spanish Culture class back in high school. What really remained ingrained in my brain, also touched on in the presentation, was the alliance called Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo. Brutal methods of terror were taken place, one of them being the kidnappings of hundreds of babies. They were mysteriously taken by anticommunist regimes in attempts to traumatize the civilians. This band of mothers worked for years trying to find their missing children, some of them still searching to this day.

This presentation did an amazing job at putting these terrors into perspective. Innocent civilians are still paying the price for something that happened over thirty years ago. I am glad that I attended, so I could be reminded of this tragedy and not forget that people are still fighting for justice.

On February 15, 2019, I volunteered at Taste of OSU (held in the Ohio Union). My job was to direct people to where they wanted to go and just roam around offering assistance. I was already super excited to attend this event because I heard nothing but great things! Although I wasn’t able to explore as much as I would have liked to, it was still amazing exposure to all the different cultures around the world. Food is such a staple in cultural connection, so to see different people come together and interact over food was truly beautiful. There were even live performances as well, showcasing different cultural dances and songs. The atmosphere was very bright and cheery, full of vibrant colors and people. Everyone was so obviously proud of their background and the guests were all enthusiastic about experiencing it. As an IA scholar, this event definitely provided me with the necessary exposure of how different ethnic cultures live. This is crucial when it comes to our mission because we must learn to respect and understand the lives of cultures around the world. This will make communication and peace building much more easy in the long run. Although I was volunteering and guiding visitors where to go, I took this opportunity as a chance for me to be a visitor as well. There was a plethora of booths and tables sampling their native food. The room was truly lit with enjoyment and positivity. It was really reassuring to see how easy it can be to bring so many different kinds of people together in just one space. As a student, my interest is in Latin American regions of the world, which were definitely represented that night. I went into the event knowing a few staple dishes in these regions, so it was interesting to see these appear, but also to see foods I never knew existed. As much as I am passionate about the Spanish-speaking world, I still have a lot to learn about their different cultures. This event has inspired me to take that passion a step further and to explore this region more in depth. At some point in my life, I would like to travel to as many Latin American countries as I can and truly try to experience the way of life there. This was reinforced by all the graduate students I know who have done exactly that. For work at CLAS, I had to do some write ups on a few Tinker Fellows who got the chance to conduct research in countries like Ecuador and Argentina. These students were able to spend many weeks in these countries and fully experience what it is like to be a native citizen of that land. This is definitely something I would like to pursue in the future, whether it is for research purposes, or simply for pleasure. I am grateful that I was able to attend this event, while also volunteering, because I truly felt embraced by all the varying cultures of the world with open arms.

On Monday, January 28, 2019 I attended the IA Research Panel held in Smith Steeb. Going in to this event, I already had a great deal of knowledge on the topic, as I have attended other panels in the past about undergraduate research on campus. The reason I wanted to attend this one, though, was because I knew these students were in the same scholars group as me and had similar responsibilities to juggle. There are so many things I would like to do before I graduate and research is definitely one of them. However, I would like to continue working at the office, study abroad, become a TA, etc. Being able to handle all of these things, on top of being a student, was my biggest concern. One student on the panel seemed to be in a similar boat and was able to do all of those things, which gave me hope and encouragement.

Each individual student on the panel had very different backgrounds, and I found that very interesting. There is research opportunity here for literally everyone. I think it is easy to think of science and medicine when it comes to research, but there is research for almost everything here on campus, even the arts and humanities. The research I would like to do is on Borderline Personality Disorder and its effects on interpersonal relationships. I was fortunate enough to have a professor last semester who works in the MAPS lab on just that. If I were to go into research, I would definitely consider reaching out to her and her colleagues.

Currently, I am taking Psych Research Methods and it really has been pushing me to want to do research more. I love the process of coming up with an idea and bringing it to life (or, more realistically, assist in someone doing that). I’m still unsure on whether or not I want to get my PhD or PsyD, but either way, having research experience during my undergrad will definitely benefit me for my dissertation in grad school.

I do wish I asked a few questions. My biggest concern is time management. I have a pretty good idea of what the rest of my time will look like here at OSU as an undergrad student, but with research on my list now, I’m not so sure anymore. Like I said, I have a lot of opportunities I plan on utilizing and I don’t know if I can fit anything else on my plate without feeling overwhelmed. The researchers on the panel did hit a really good point, though: research is NOT required, so if you don’t think you can/want to do it, don’t. I think that was really comforting to hear, considering this campus is so heavily based on research, there is a lot of pressure to be a part of it. Realistically, research is not for everyone. Since I am on the fence about it, I now feel less pressure to cross that one off my list.

Overall, I am very glad I attended this panel to get a new and different perspective on research as an undergraduate student.

On November 19th, 2018, in the Biomolecular and Chemical Engineering building, I attended one of the showings in the Environmental Film Series, called “A River Below”. This documentary tells of the ethics and morals to be considered when being an active conservationist and the measures to be taken. The film is immensely controversial in nature and brought up great discussion afterwards.
Specifically, the issue at play was the endangerment of the pink river dolphins in the Amazon via their use as bait for Capaz/Mota fish. This was a topic I previously had no interest in delving into, but I am so glad I did. I was never one to be active in the conservationist movement, as I never had a drive for it. This film, however, opened my eyes to the real problems at hand and how immense they are in size and severity. I think its connection to the Latin American world was what peaked my initial interest in the film, then the rest followed. Many countries (United States, Brazil, Peru, Columbia, etc.) all were portrayed in this issue as key players. Shown was conflict between Latin American river people, who rely on the dolphins as a source of their income, Latin American activists, who see the animals as more important than income, and the US, who intervene whenever deemed beneficial.

From this experience, I gained a lot of knowledge on a topic I was previously ignorant to, but I also gained interpersonal and network skills. About 30 minutes before the showing, there was time to talk with others (faculty and students alike) and their field of interest. I gained a lot of perspective on different areas that find this topic important, not just environmental areas. The issues discussed in this film applied relevantly to both Latin American Studies and Psychology concepts. In Psychology, we learn a lot about the way people interact and how crucial that is to determine what outcome will come out of a situation. Things can be very predictable if time is taken to analyze the current situation. In this case, the river people were paid by an activist to be filmed while killing dolphins, and they were supposedly “promised” it would not be broadcasted, just shown to the government. However, when the footage rights were handed over to the film company, the footage was released on a very popular news network. With the negative exposure, it became illegal to fish the way they were, and their income tanked. This obviously stirred up a lot of hatred towards this activist and it all spiraled. If this were handled in a more psychologically appropriate way, a lot of conflict would have been avoided.

Overall, this experience was one that I never thought I would expose myself to, but I am glad I did. Now, I guess the question is, what is the solution to the new problem created? How do these fisherman, in a community based solely on fishing, make a living now? That is what is being sorted out right now, and I assume it will require a lot of patience and cooperation.